Flour feeder



J. W. BENEDICT.

FLOUR FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED MMLZ, 922. 1,421,896, Patented July 4, 1922.

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rLoUa FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1922.

Application filed March 2, 1922. Serial No. 540,561.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. BENEDICT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Ledge, in the county of Eaton and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flour Feeders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved device which is especially, but not necessarily, designed forfeeding flour into the receptacles of a conveying apparatus, although the invention is equally well adapted for feeding various other materials.-

1 One anda very important aim of the invention is to generally improve upon feeding devices of this class by providing one of extreme simplicity and durability, which is practical, effective in operation, sanitary and inexpensive to both the manufacturer and the user.

More specifically speaking, it is one of the objects of the invention to provide independently and simultaneously operable agitating members which are arranged in superposed relation and are acted on by novel means to move in planes at right angles to one another, the agitators being co-operable with and extending into the'discharge opening of the hopper to prevent clogging at this point.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming'a ,part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

. Figure l is a central vertical sectional view through. a feeder constructed in accordance with this invention showing the same mounted on the conveyor conduit.

Figures 2 and 3 are sections taken on the lines 2-2 and 8 3 respectively of Fig. 1. In the drawing, the letter C designates a portion of a conduit in which suitable conve in means not shown is arran ed this b 1:) 3

duit, the same having a reduced discharge neck 2 at its lower end which is arranged opposite the aforesaid opening. It may be conveniently pointed out here that a plate 8 is slidably mounted in any suitable way on the conduit and is formed at its lower end with an opening which permits it to function in the capacity of a valve to control the passage of material into the conduit. Of course, any other suitable form of control or valve may be provided. Referring again to the hopper, I wish it understood that this may be shaped or designed in any other suitable way but in the showing, the rear vertical wall is constructed as indicated at 4 to accommodate driving means to be hereinafter described, and the opposed wall is inclined to assist in feeding the flour by gravity into conveyor receptacles.

As seen clearly in Fig. 2, one of the agitators is in the form of a substantially rectangular frame 5 provided with a plurality of elongated slots 6 through which fasteners 7 pass to secure it to the inclined bottom of the hopper. This construction permits the frame to slide longitudinally against the bottom of the hopper and inasmuch as the frame is provided with a reduced portion 8 extending into the discharge neck 2, it will be seen that in case the materialtends to clog at this point, it will be forced through the discharge opening by thev portion 8. The lower transverse cross-piece of the agitating frame is formed with an elongated slot 9 which permits the device to operate in a manner to be later described. (lo-operative with this agitating frame is an agitating bar 10 which is pivoted at 11 .to the bottom of the hopper. This bar is equipped with a plurality of right angularly [disposed inclined baffles or fins 12 which serve to break up lumps existing in the material in the hopper. The lower end of tho agitating bar 10, like the agitating frame, extends into and operates in the discharge neck. As shown, the agitating bar is also equipped with an elongated slot 13 which .extends cross-wise of and registers with the aforesaid slot 9.

As before intimated, the two agitators are .capable of moving in planes at right angles to one another to effect a rapid discharge of the flour. Although the means for accomplishing this result could be of some other construction, I prefer to make use of a shaft 14 which eat-ends through the rear vertical of the crank shaft.

end of the hopper and is disposed at right angles with respect to the superposed agitator. The inner end of this shaft is cranked as indicated at 15 and this crank portion extends through and co-operates with 'the aforesaid slots 9 and 13 to effect a simultaneous, operation of the agitators. If desired,

an arched brace 16 may be employed, the same extending diagonally as shown and having its ends secured to thebottom wall of the hopper and increasing the rigidity thereby assuring effectiveness of operation a On its outer end, the shaft is equipped with a bevel gear 17 which meshes with another bevel gear 18 mounted on the shaft 19 driven by-any suitable means, such as for instance, a belt 20 acting on a pulley 21 mounted on this shaft. To act in conjunction with the aforesaid agitators, the shaft 14 may be equipped with pins 22.

vFrom the foregoing description, it is ob vious that when the shaft 1a is set into rota-' tion', the agitating frame 5 willbe moved longitudinally along the bottom of the hopper'and the reduced end portion 8 will be reciprocated'in the discharge neck to force the flour through the latter. At the same time, the free end of'the agitating bar. will be moved transversely of this neck to assist in ena-blin the flour to be fed rapidly and continuous y from the hopper into the conveyor conduit. If for any reason it is de- 7 sired to stop the flow offlour from the hop per, this can be done by closing the open end of the discharge neck by manipulating the aforesaid valve.

Feeding devices constructed in accordance with this invention will be found sanitary 'tion have doubtless been made apparent bythe foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

It therefore seems unnecessary to insert a more lengthy description.

Since probably the best results may be obtained with the construction and-arrangement herein shown and described, this is taken as the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, I wish it to be understood. that minor changes coming within the scope of the invention as claimed may be resorted to if desired.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a hopper, and aplurality of agitators arranged therein, said agitators being arranged in superposed relation, and each having portions working in the discharge opening of the hopper and being simultaneously operated in planes at right angles to each other.

2. A device of the class described comprising a hopper haviiigadiscliarge neck at its lower end, an agitator slidably contacting the inner side of the bottom of the hopper and having a portion extending through and longitudinally movable in said neck, an agitating bar pivotally connected with the bottom of the hopper and extending across said first named agitator and having its lower end projectinginto said neck, and means for simultaneously actuating said agitators, whereby to cause the pivoted one to move transversely in said neck and the remaining one to move longitudinally therein. 7

3. A device of the class described comprising a. hopper, an agitating barpivotally 'connected to one of the sides of said hopper and disposed in parallelism therewith, said bar inclined angularly disposed baffles carried by said bar. 7

4. A device of the class described comprishaving one end operating in the discharge opening of said hopper, and a plurality of ing a hopper, superimposed agitators ar ranged in said hopper, one of said agitators being slidable against the bottom of the hopper and movable longitudinally through the .(l1SCl12Ll open1ng, the remaining one being ivotall Y mounted and .lli Ortion movable transversely in'said opening, and a 1 single shaft disposed at right angles to said agitators and having connectiontherewith for simultaneously operating them.

5. A device of theclass described compi'ising a hopper, an agitator slidably connected with the bottom thereof and having a. portion for reciprocation injthe discharge opening of the hopper, said agitator being formed with an elongated slot, a second agi tator pivotally mounted in the hopper and" extending across the first named agitator and provided with awslot crossing the first named slot at right angles, said pivoted agitator having its free end transversely movable in the discharge opening, and a shaft having a crank portion extending through said slots for simultaneously operating said agitators.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

Jornv W. BENEDICT. 

